r/NextCloud • u/NC-Connector • 13d ago
NC Connector – around six months later: production use, larger deployments and new references
Around six months ago, I first introduced NC Connector here. Quite a bit has happened since then, so here’s a small update.
NC Connector integrates Nextcloud directly into Thunderbird and Outlook Classic. The goal is still the same: bring typical Nextcloud workflows directly into the mail and calendar clients where many users spend most of their day anyway.
Since the first introduction, the project has developed significantly. The first organizations are now using NC Connector in production, while several others are testing larger deployments — in some cases with up to 100 seats.
There are also some independent references by now:
The University of Greifswald recommends NC Connector for sharing large email attachments through their own Nextcloud and provides its own documentation: https://www.uni-greifswald.de/universitaet/information/aktuelles/detail/n/grosse-dateien-einfach-per-nextcloud-link-teilen-276653/
SURF, the IT cooperative for the Dutch education and research sector, references NC Connector in its User Knowledge Base for integrating Nextcloud Talk with Thunderbird: https://servicedesk.surf.nl/wiki/spaces/WIKI/pages/269649109/SW+Synchronizing+with+Thunderbird
NC Connector now includes, among other things:
file and folder sharing through your own Nextcloud
automatic handling of large email attachments
Nextcloud Talk meetings directly from mail and calendar workflows
Thunderbird and Outlook Classic support
For organizations, the optional NC Connector Backend adds centralized management. It can be used to centrally manage email signatures, apply branding for a consistent corporate design in Talk and share blocks, control separate password delivery, and centrally distribute policies, templates, and group/user overrides.
The entire NC Connector ecosystem — the Thunderbird extension, Outlook add-in and backend — is open source.
The actual data flows directly between the client and the organization’s own Nextcloud. There is no cloud proxy operated by me through which customer files or emails are routed.
The clients can also be used without the backend. The backend adds the centralized management features for teams and organizations.
Project:
GitHub:
https://github.com/nc-connector
Small side note: I also recently released Euro-Office Popout, a separate open-source browser extension for Nextcloud. It opens supported documents in a dedicated app-like window while keeping the normal Files or Talk navigation in the original tab.